PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MASTER SYLLABUS

BEGINNING FRENCH I
FREN 1010

Class Hours: 3.0

Credit Hours: 3.0

Laboratory Hours: 0.0

Revised: Spring 09

Catalog Course Description:

Introduction to reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the French language within a cultural context. Language laboratory required; listening and practice materials on a CD, coordinated with a workbook and computer exercises.

Entry Level Standards:

Completion of developmental English and reading courses

Prerequisites:

None

Textbook(s) and Other Course Materials:

Hagiwara, M. Peter, and Francoise de Rocher. Entre Nous: A Communicative Approach to Beginning French. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994.
Hagiwara, M. Peter. Cahier d'exercices, Entre Nous: A Communicative Approach to Beginning French. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994.
CD Program and Computer Program: Entre Nous. Coordinated with above text and workbook

I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:

Week

Topic

Preliminary Unit: "Bonjour!" Greetings; introductions; identifying/locating people; the alphabet

Asking questions; negation; stress, pronunciation, and spelling in French; vocabulary quiz

Levels of language; pronoun subjects and "etre"; test

Unit 1 "Tu as cours a midi?" College courses; languages; questions and answers; identifying people and objects

Locating objects using prepositions; 1st-conjugation verbs; numbers (1-30); vocabulary quiz

Telling what we have (avoir); campus life; education in France; expressing location and direction with "a"; telling time; expressing activities with -er verbs; expressing possession; imperative; beginning reading short passages in French; test

Unit 2 "Jouons au tennis samedi prochain!" Talking about climate and weather, months and seasons; holidays in France; reading a French calendar; preposition: of/about/from; talking about sports; telling dates

Expressing possession; expressing sequences, ranking, and dates; expressing motion and future actions; sports and games; doing activities (faire); pointing and singling out (demonstrative adjective "ce"); describing with colors

Using a 24-hour clock and numbers beyond 31; stating how often an action or event takes place; test

Unit 3 "Faisons connaissance!" Becoming familiar with French family life; describing family relationships; describing people and things; agreement of adjectives and nouns

Seeking specific information (which/what); asking oui/non questions in more varied ways (questions with inversion); describing clothing; comparing people and objects; vocabulary quiz

Using the metric system for height and weight; expressing common activities (to put, to wear); test

Unit 4 "Que veux-tu prendre?" Becoming acquainted with the role of cafes in French society; French eating customs; ordering in cafes and restaurants; expressing abilities & desires (pouvoir and vouloir; I can and I want); irregular verbs prendre, apprendre, comprendre; vocabulary quiz;

Explaining daily activities; emphasizing one element of an utterance; stressed pronouns; using "on"; expressing activities with -ir and -re verbs; expressing indefinite quantities; interrogative adverbs and open-ended questions; understanding basic sentence patterns; Forward With French (video interviews with business people in New York state who use French in their work); review for final exam

Comprehensive Final Exam

II. Course Objectives*:

Listening comprehension: understand some words and phrases in French spoken at a slow conversational speed, such as simple questions and statements, high-frequency commands, and courtesy formulas. II.3

Speaking skills: communicate in a limited number of daily situations in simple, present-tense French, relying heavily on learned phrases. II.3

Writing skills: write simple sentences in present tense French. II.3

Cultural understanding: acquire some understanding of French traditions, language, and people. II.1, II.3, II.4, II.5

*Roman numerals after course objectives reference TBR’s general education goals.

III. Instructional Processes*:

Students will:

Use the French language in pair and group exercises to exchange information and talk about their feelings. Communication Outcome, Humanities Outcome, Active Learning Strategy

Complete workbook exercises in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding French. Communication Outcome, Humanities Outcome

Develop listening and speaking skills in real contexts through the use of a video and extensive audio program. Communication Outcome, Humanities Outcome

Collaborate in teams to practice verbal exercises and complete written exercises. Communication Outcome, Humanities Outcome, Outcome, Active Learning Strategies

Read about differences between American culture and French culture, with some analysis of how culture is expressed through language. Humanities Outcome

Discuss video interviews of American business people who use French in their work. Transitional Strategies

Practice elements of the work ethic by regularly attending class, being punctual, participating in class activities, and demonstrating good manners. Transitional Strategy

*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference Pellissippi State's goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process.

IV. Expectations for Student Performance*:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Understand simple statements, directions, questions, and responses in present-tense French. A

Coordinate sound-symbol association (the contrast between written and spoken French) in familiar material. A

Carry on a simple conversation in French, including greetings, basic questions and answers, and limited descriptions. B

Demonstrate correct pronunciation and intonation of spoken French. B

Translate short passages in simple present-tense French. C

Develop a basic French vocabulary of several hundred words including some irregular verbs. C

Learn how grammatical structures of written French differ from those of English. C

Write short original sentences in present tense French. C,D

Fill out forms written in French. C, D

10.

Develop an understanding of the work involved in learning a second language and respect for those people who are multilingual. E

11.

Describe specific aspects of French life such as holidays, eating customs, and family life. E

*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.

V. Evaluation:

A. Testing Procedures:

REVIEWS (8):                                   40 points
VOCABULARY QUIZZES (7):     140
UNIT TESTS (7):                             560
FINAL EXAM:                                120
LAB/WORKBOOK:                        140

B. Laboratory Expectations:

Students must listen to cd’s and turn in completed and checked workbook pages for the cd program on each Unit Quiz Day for laboratory credit. Workbook pages for the assigned unit must be completed, corrected in red ink, and turned in to instructor on each Unit Quiz Day for full credit.

C. Field Work:

When feasible, some assignments may require attendance at a performance or special program in French or about France.

E. Grading Scale:

A = 900-1000 points
B = 800-900
C = 700-800
D = 600-700
F = below 600

VI. Policies:

A. Attendance Policy:

Pellissippi State Technical Community College expects students to attend all scheduled instructional activities. As a minimum students in all courses must be present for at least 75 percent of their scheduled class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course. Individual departments/programs/disciplines, with the approval of the vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, may have requirements that are more stringent.

B. Academic and Classroom Misconduct:

The instructor has the primary responsibility for control over classroom behavior and maintenance of academic integrity and can order the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive conduct or conduct in violation of the general rules and regulations of Pellissippi State. Extended or permanent exclusion from the classroom or further disciplinary action can be effected only through appropriate procedures of Pellissippi State.

Academic misconduct committed either directly or indirectly by an individual or group is subject to disciplinary action. Prohibited activities include but are not limited to the following practices:

Cheating, including but not limited to unauthorized assistance from material, people, or devices when taking a test, quiz, or examination; writing papers or reports; solving problems; or completing academic assignments
Plagiarism, including but not limited to paraphrasing, summarizing, or directly quoting published or unpublished work of another person, including online or computerized services, without proper documentation of the original source
Purchasing or otherwise obtaining prewritten essays, research papers, or materials prepared by another person or agency that sells term papers or other academic materials to be presented as one's own work
Taking an exam for another student
Providing others with information and/or answers regarding exams, quizzes, homework or other classroom assignments unless explicitly authorized by the instructor
Any of the above occurring within the Web or distance-learning environment.

Pellissippi State instructors are responsible for communicating information to their students about college and classroom requirements meant to promote academic honesty. Included in this information should be a discussion of the College's Statement of Academic Honesty. Instructors also have the responsibility to insure that exams, etc. are appropriately proctored to discourage instances of academic misconduct.

Upon discovery of a student's participation in academic misconduct, the student is immediately responsible to the instructor of the class, who will meet with the offending student with evidence of the misconduct. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign either (1) an F or zero for the assignment or (2) an F for the course.

Pellissippi State students accept full responsibility for the quality and authenticity of submitted course work. When confronted with evidence of academic misconduct, students may admit their participation and accept the penalty imposed by the instructor. The instructor will inform the department head of the violation, and the department head will forward written notice of the violation to the dean of Student Affairs, who will keep records of the incident.

If the student believes that he/she has been erroneously accused of academic misconduct and if his/her final grade has been lowered as a result, the student may appeal the case through the following procedures:

The student may discuss the case with the department head for that discipline.
If the student seeks further appeal, he/she may ask the department head to contact the vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, who will determine any additional steps to be taken.

Disciplinary Action. Disciplinary action may be taken against a student for violations of the above regulations that occur on Pellissippi State-owned, -leased, or otherwise controlled property, or that occur off campus when the conduct impairs, interferes with, or obstructs any College activity or the missions, processes, and functions of the College. In addition, disciplinary action may be taken on the basis of any conduct, on or off campus, that poses a substantial threat to people or property within the Pellissippi State community.

For the purposes of these regulations, a “student'' shall mean any person who is registered for study at Pellissippi State for any academic period, including the time that follows the end of an academic period that the student has completed until the last day for registration for the next succeeding regular academic period, and during any period while the student is under suspension from Pellissippi State.

C. Accommodations for disabilities:

Students who need accommodations because of a disability, have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated should inform the instructor immediately, privately after class or in her or his office. Students must present a current accommodation plan from a staff member in Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) in order to receive accommodations in this course. Services for Students with Disabilities may be contacted by going to Goins 134 or 126 or by phone: 694-6751(Voice/TTY) or 539-7153. More information is available at www.pstcc.edu/departments/swd/.

D. Other Policies:

Students are expected to be present on Quiz days. Only one quiz will be made up in the Testing Make-up Center. If more than one quiz is missed, the final examination will count more.